Making a Change

Changing Towards a Healthier Lifestyle

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"Too often people will say that they 'plan' to eat healthier, stop smoking, or exercise. However, they fail to work out or think through the necessary details in advance" (Robbins 37). It's been proven that a person is more likely to complete and accomplish a goal if he or she writes it down. It makes the person think through the plan and the road to get there, rather than making excuses. Having a defined goal is also crucial to making a healthier behavior change. The acronym S.M.A.R.T. is a handy way to make sure your goal and your plan works best for you.

S = Specific: specific actions that contribute to the outcome
M = Measurable: concrete criteria for measuring progress
A = Attainable: challenging but within capabilities
R = Relevant: choose goals that matter
T = Time: set a deadline

An example of making a basic goal into a more specific goal would be as follows:

1. Improve my health.
2. Improve my health by eating healthier foods.
3. Eat cereal instead of doughnuts for breakfast.
4. Stop eating doughnuts.
5. Replace high-fat breakfast foods with high-fiber foods.

Setting deadlines are crucial, as well as creating rewards for yourself when you have little check ups on your progress. Making a complete change typically takes anywhere from 6 months to 5 years, so don't be down on yourself if you slip up every now and then or if you don't see results right away. It's also okay to have cheat days every now and then, treating yourself for working so hard. Changing for the better is hard, but worth it when you begin to see and feel results.



Source(s):

Robbins, Gwen, Debbie Powers, and Sharon Burgess. A Wellness Way of Life. New York:
         McGraw-Hill, 2013. Print.

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Stacie Kussro